diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index 4c7e5cad1..ec19f29a1 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ pub enum BinstallError {
     ///
     /// This may be the case when using the `--version` option.
     ///
-    /// Note that using `--version 1.2.3` is interpreted as the requirement `^1.2.3` as per
-    /// Cargo.toml rules. If you want the exact version 1.2.3, use `--version '=1.2.3'`.
+    /// Note that using `--version 1.2.3` is interpreted as the requirement `=1.2.3`.
     ///
     /// - Code: `binstall::version::mismatch`
     /// - Exit: 82
@@ -167,21 +166,15 @@ pub enum BinstallError {
         v: semver::Version,
     },
 
-    /// Warning: The resolved version may not be what was meant.
-    ///
-    /// This occurs when using the `--version` option with a bare version, like `--version 1.2.3`.
-    /// That is parsed as the semver requirement `^1.2.3`, but the user may have expected that to
-    /// be an exact version (which should be specified with `--version '=1.2.3'`.
-    ///
-    /// - Code: `binstall::version::warning`
-    /// - Exit: none (runtime warning only)
-    #[error("version semantic mismatch: {ver} <> {req}")]
+    /// This occurs when you specified `--version` while also using
+    /// form `$crate_name@$ver` tp specify version requirements.
+    #[error("duplicate version requirements")]
     #[diagnostic(
-        severity(warning),
-        code(binstall::version::warning),
-        help("You specified `--version {req}` but the package resolved that to '{ver}'.\nUse `--version '={req}'` if you want an exact match.")
+        severity(error),
+        code(binstall::version::requirement),
+        help("Remove the `--version req` or simply use `$crate_name`")
     )]
-    VersionWarning { ver: String, req: String },
+    DuplicateVersionReq,
 }
 
 impl BinstallError {
@@ -208,7 +201,7 @@ impl BinstallError {
             VersionReq { .. } => 81,
             VersionMismatch { .. } => 82,
             VersionUnavailable { .. } => 83,
-            VersionWarning { .. } => unimplemented!("BUG: warnings do not terminate"),
+            DuplicateVersionReq => 84,
         };
 
         // reserved codes
diff --git a/src/helpers.rs b/src/helpers.rs
index b7614e2f5..254119b81 100644
--- a/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/src/helpers.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ pub use path_ext::*;
 mod tls_version;
 pub use tls_version::TLSVersion;
 
+mod crate_name;
+pub use crate_name::CrateName;
+
 /// Load binstall metadata from the crate `Cargo.toml` at the provided path
 pub fn load_manifest_path<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     manifest_path: P,
diff --git a/src/helpers/crate_name.rs b/src/helpers/crate_name.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b7eb1077e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers/crate_name.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+use std::convert::Infallible;
+use std::fmt;
+use std::str::FromStr;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct CrateName {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub version: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for CrateName {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.name)?;
+
+        if let Some(version) = &self.version {
+            write!(f, "@{version}")?;
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromStr for CrateName {
+    type Err = Infallible;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        Ok(if let Some((name, version)) = s.split_once('@') {
+            CrateName {
+                name: name.to_string(),
+                version: Some(version.to_string()),
+            }
+        } else {
+            CrateName {
+                name: s.to_string(),
+                version: None,
+            }
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 24cf69646..b5a8af311 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ use std::{
     ffi::OsString,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     process::{ExitCode, Termination},
-    str::FromStr,
     time::{Duration, Instant},
 };
 
@@ -36,14 +35,14 @@ struct Options {
     ///
     /// This must be a crates.io package name.
     #[clap(value_name = "crate")]
-    name: String,
+    crate_name: CrateName,
 
     /// Semver filter to select the package version to install.
     ///
     /// This is in Cargo.toml dependencies format: `--version 1.2.3` is equivalent to
     /// `--version "^1.2.3"`. Use `=1.2.3` to install a specific version.
-    #[clap(long, default_value = "*")]
-    version: String,
+    #[clap(long)]
+    version: Option<String>,
 
     /// Override binary target set.
     ///
@@ -237,34 +236,34 @@ async fn entry() -> Result<()> {
         .map_err(BinstallError::from)
         .wrap_err("Creating a temporary directory failed.")?;
 
-    info!("Installing package: '{}'", opts.name);
+    info!("Installing package: '{}'", opts.crate_name);
+
+    let mut version = match (&opts.crate_name.version, &opts.version) {
+        (Some(version), None) => version.to_string(),
+        (None, Some(version)) => version.to_string(),
+        (Some(_), Some(_)) => Err(BinstallError::DuplicateVersionReq)?,
+        (None, None) => "*".to_string(),
+    };
+
+    if version
+        .chars()
+        .next()
+        .map(|ch| ch.is_ascii_digit())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+    {
+        version.insert(0, '=');
+    }
 
     // Fetch crate via crates.io, git, or use a local manifest path
     // TODO: work out which of these to do based on `opts.name`
     // TODO: support git-based fetches (whole repo name rather than just crate name)
     let manifest = match opts.manifest_path.clone() {
         Some(manifest_path) => load_manifest_path(manifest_path.join("Cargo.toml"))?,
-        None => fetch_crate_cratesio(&client, &opts.name, &opts.version).await?,
+        None => fetch_crate_cratesio(&client, &opts.crate_name.name, &version).await?,
     };
 
     let package = manifest.package.unwrap();
 
-    let is_plain_version = semver::Version::from_str(&opts.version).is_ok();
-    if is_plain_version && package.version != opts.version {
-        warn!("Warning!");
-        eprintln!(
-            "{:?}",
-            miette::Report::new(BinstallError::VersionWarning {
-                ver: package.version.clone(),
-                req: opts.version.clone()
-            })
-        );
-
-        if !opts.dry_run {
-            uithread.confirm().await?;
-        }
-    }
-
     let (mut meta, binaries) = (
         package
             .metadata
@@ -312,7 +311,9 @@ async fn entry() -> Result<()> {
             meta.merge(&cli_overrides);
 
             // Generate temporary binary path
-            let bin_path = temp_dir.path().join(format!("bin-{}", opts.name));
+            let bin_path = temp_dir
+                .path()
+                .join(format!("bin-{}", opts.crate_name.name));
             debug!("Using temporary binary path: {}", bin_path.display());
 
             let bin_files = collect_bin_files(
@@ -363,6 +364,7 @@ async fn entry() -> Result<()> {
                 opts,
                 package,
                 temp_dir,
+                version,
                 &bin_path,
                 &bin_files,
             )
@@ -438,6 +440,7 @@ async fn install_from_package(
     opts: Options,
     package: Package<Meta>,
     temp_dir: TempDir,
+    version: String,
     bin_path: &Path,
     bin_files: &[bins::BinFile],
 ) -> Result<()> {
@@ -478,7 +481,7 @@ async fn install_from_package(
     }
 
     let cvs = metafiles::CrateVersionSource {
-        name: opts.name,
+        name: opts.crate_name.name,
         version: package.version.parse().into_diagnostic()?,
         source: metafiles::Source::Registry(
             url::Url::parse("https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index").unwrap(),
@@ -521,7 +524,7 @@ async fn install_from_package(
             c2.insert(
                 cvs.clone(),
                 metafiles::v2::CrateInfo {
-                    version_req: Some(opts.version),
+                    version_req: Some(version),
                     bins,
                     profile: "release".into(),
                     target: fetcher.target().to_string(),